Charles Roach

Charles Roach
Photo:C.Ferguson/AfroCanadaViews

Charles Roach

By Francine Buchner

Charles Roach is a lawyer and best known for his refusal to swear allegiance to the Queen of England and thus after 40 years is still not a Canadian citizen. This meant giving up a cushy job as a judge and a nice pension to go with it. 

He is attacking the Canadian Constitution, essentially freedom of conscious; freedom of thought; religious freedom; spiritual freedom; saying that the fundamental laws of Canada are racist. It is not democratic because “you can only get there by blood,” points out Roach, “how can we ever have another be Head of State?” It is the struggle of my life,” said Roach.

 He is a trial lawyer, in the practice of international humanitarian law and human rights law. He is a Pan-Africanist, which means he focuses his attention on the peoples of Africa and places of the Diaspora. He is also of mixed race. “Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery,” reminisces Roach.